Securities

Share capital structure, calendar year-end (%)

As at 31 December 2018, the authorised capital of MMC Norilsk Nickel comprised 158,245,476 ordinary shares with a par value of RUB 1 each. The Company placed no preferred shares.

As at 31 December 2018, there were 38,834 persons registered in the shareholder register – 38,806 individuals and 28 legal entities, including 3 nominal holders.

The reporting year saw minor changes in the shareholding structure. Olderfrey Holdings Ltd, the Company's major shareholder, built up its holding from 30.4% to 34.6% as at the year-end. The shares of UC Rusal Plс and Crispian Investments Ltd remained unchanged at 27.8% and 4.2%, respectively. Shares and American depositary receipts (ADRs) in free float owned by institutional and private investors from Europe, USA, Russia, Asia and elsewhere accounted for 33.4% of the issued capital.

The Company's ordinary shares are traded mostly on the Moscow Exchange, while ADRs are traded in the electronic trading system of OTC markets of the London Stock Exchange. As at 31 December 2018, the Company's capitalisation remained flat y-o-y at USD 29.7 bn.

Average monthly capitalisation in 2018 (USD bn)
Source: Bloomberg

Shares

The Company's ordinary shares have been trading on the Russian market since 2001. They are included in the Moscow Exchange’s Blue Chip Index (ticker symbol: GMKN) and rank among the most liquid instruments in the Russian securities market.

As at 31 December 2018, the Company’s registrar was Independent Registrar Company. Following the reorganisation completed on 4 February 2019, Independent Registrar Company became part of the IRC – R.O.S.T. Group. As a legal successor of Independent Registrar Company, IRC – R.O.S.T. has been keeping Nornickel’s shareholder register and providing a full scope of registrar services from 5 February 2019.

Holders of the Company’s shares can participate in the General Meeting of Shareholders through e-voting using the Shareholder’s Personal Account set up by the registrar. Besides, shareholders registered in the shareholder register can:

  • view the number and price of their shares;

  • check dividends accrued and paid;

  • see the date of the upcoming General Meeting of Shareholders.

Access to the personal account can be obtained at a branch of Independent Registrar Company. Individual shareholders with a verified Public Services Portal account can connect to their personal account remotely. The procedure to connect to the Shareholder’s Personal Account is available at the registrar's website.

Average share price and trading volume on the Moscow Exchange in 2018
Share and ADR split, 31 December 2018 (%)
Share price and MOEX Russia Index in 2018 (%)
Share price and trading volume on the Moscow Exchange
Date Share price, RUB Volume, mln shares Market cap at end of period, RUB bn
Min Max End of period
2014 5,150 10,805 8,080 75 1,279
2015 8,590 12,106 9,150 58 1,448
2016 8,050 11,070 10,122 48 1,602
2017 7,791 11,610 10,850 49 1,717
2018 9,170 13,349 13,039 46 2,063
Q1 10,695 11,874 10,760 13 1,703
Q2 9,170 11,644 11,039 13 1,804
Q3 10,255 12,073 11,388 11 1,802
Q4 10,650 13,349 13,039 9 2,063
Source: Company calculations based on the Moscow Exchange price

ADRs

In 2001, MMC Norilsk Nickel issued ADRs for its shares. Currently, shares are convertible into ADRs at a ratio of 1:10. Depositary services for ADR transactions and custody services are provided by the Bank of New York Mellon and VTB Bank, respectively. ADRs are traded in the electronic trading system of OTC markets of the London Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: MNOD), on the US OTC market (ticker symbol: NILSY), and on other exchanges.

As at 31 December 2018, the total number of ADRs issued against MMC Norilsk Nickel’s shares was 396,925,820, or 25.1% of the authorised capital. The number of ADRs traded on stock exchanges is not constant, as depositary receipt holders may convert their securities into shares and vice versa.

Share and ADR trading volume by exchange (%)
Source: Bloomberg
Average ADR price and trading volume on the London Stock Exchange in 2018
ADR price and global indices (%)
Source: Bloomberg
ADR price and trading volume on the OTC market of the London Stock Exchange
Date ADR price, USD Volume, mln ADRs Market cap at end of period, USD mln
Min Max End of period
2014 14.2 21.5 14.2 1,163 22,503
2015 12.4 21.6 12.7 722 20,042
2016 10.4 18.2 16.8 647 26,569
2017 13.0 20.2 18.7 738 29,655
2018 14.9 21.2 18.8 491 29,687
Q1 18.5 21.2 18.5 153 29,339
Q2 14.9 18.8 18.0 150 28,405
Q3 15.9 18.7 17.3 102 27,376
Q4 16.1 19.9 18.8 86 29,687

Bonds

As at the end of 2018, the Company had four Eurobond issues outstanding for a total amount of USD 3.5 bn ith maturities in 2020, 2022 and 2023, and one issue of rouble exchange-traded bonds for RUB 15 bn n 2026. In April 2018, Nornickel redeemed the Eurobond issue for USD n.

In late November 2018, the Company registered its 30-year exchange-traded bond issuing programme on the Moscow Exchange. The programme provides for exchange-traded bond issues for up to RUB 300 bn its equivalent in a foreign currency.

Eurobonds
Instrument Eurobonds
2018 (LPN) (redeemed) 2020 (LPN) 2022 (LPN) 2022 (LPN) 2023 (LPN)
Issuer MMC Finance D.A.C. MMC Finance D.A.C. MMC Finance D.A.C. MMC Finance D.A.C. MMC Finance D.A.C.
Issue size, USD mln 750 1,000 500 1,000 1,000
Coupon rate, % 4.375 5.550 3.849 6.625 4.100
Offering date 30 April 2013 28 October 2013 08 June 2017 14 October 2015 11 April 2017
Maturity date 30 April 2018 28 October 2020 08 April 2022 14 October 2022 11 April 2023
Coupon dates 30 October / 30 April 28 October / 28 April 08 October / 08 April 14 October / 14 April 11 October / 11 April
Issue rating BBB− / Bаa3 / BBB− BBB− / Bаa3 Rating revised upwards to Baa2 from 12 February 2019. / BBB− ВВВ− / – / ВВВ− BBB− / Bаa3 Rating revised upwards to Baa2 from 12 February 2019. / BBB− ВВВ− / – / ВВВ−
Rouble bonds
Instrument Exchange-traded bonds, BO-05
Issuer MMC Norilsk Nickel
ISIN RU000A0JW5C7
Offering date 19 February 2016
Maturity date 06 February 2026
Issue size RUB 15 bn
Coupon rate 11.60%
Coupon dates Each 182 days starting from the offering date

Credit ratings

On 29 January 2018, Moody's upgraded Nornickel's credit rating to Ваа3 (investment grade) and raised its outlook from stable to positive following an increase in Russia's country ceilings for foreign currency debt to the same Baa3 level and a change in the outlook on Russia’s rating from stable to positive.

On 30 November 2018, Nornickel received the highest creditworthiness rating according to the Russian national scale (ruAAA, outlook stable) from the RAEX (Expert RA) rating agency.

On 12 February 2019, Moody's upgraded Nornickel's credit rating to Ваа2, outlook stable, following an increase in Russia's country ceilings for foreign currency debt to the same Baa2 level and an upgrade in Russia’s sovereign credit rating to Baa3 (investment grade), outlook stable.

As at the year-end, the Company boasted investment grade credit ratings from the three leading international rating agencies and the Russian RAEX:
  • Fitch
    BBB−
    Stable
  • Standard & Poor’s
    BBB−
    Stable
  • Moody’s
    Baa3
    Positive
  • Expert RA
    ruААА
    Stable